


Just reach out.

by BLUKWolf



Series: We'll be alright by each other's side [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, They run away to be happy, Uzumaki Naruto Needs a Hug, Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village, because Sai wants to see Naruto smiling, but it fits, i love Uzu is it obvious?, the pairing came out of nowhere i swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:00:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26392291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BLUKWolf/pseuds/BLUKWolf
Summary: He'd rather be a shadow if it means seeing Naruto shine.
Relationships: Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Sai, Sai & Uzumaki Naruto, Sai/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: We'll be alright by each other's side [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918051
Comments: 9
Kudos: 169





	Just reach out.

**Author's Note:**

> This came out of nowhere, I swear it did! But I think it fits, and I'm still a little bitter with Konoha and maybe Minato, i'm not sure but yes this exists. 
> 
> Maybe Sai's a little ooc? I'm not sure, but I hope it's good! 
> 
> english is not first language so please have patience with me:D

He wasn't that good at reading people. 

He was learning, and trying, and he knew sometimes he could be a little creepy, unnerving and plain weird. 

But he was learning, and Sai was glad that he wasn't alone in this. 

He kind of feels bad when he puts thought into it, when he sees the blonde's pained expression while Shikamaru smirks and waves and says "See you later, Naruto." 

He knows that face, knows that reluctance. He is too familiar with the way Naruto winces and flinches but ultimately smiles and nods back and waves and answers "See ya, Shika!" 

He's not the brightest of the team, nor the one able to do one good thing while interacting with Sakura or Kakashi, but he tries, and it's hard. And more often than not he asks himself how worthy it is, to pretend to be someone he isn't just to fit in a haunted place while being the replacement to another.

He thinks maybe he's not being fair. He thinks that maybe they're trying their best, that the Uchiha is still a sore spot to all three of them and with the way he looks he's just putting more salt into the wound. 

Sometimes he wants to apologize and get closer to them and get to have what people called 'friends', because sometimes he too can see Naruto wanting the same, looking around the streets at the people averting his eyes or sneering at him, throwing dirty glares and muttering under their breath while cursing the boy who keeps at bay their greatest nightmare.

So he knows, and sees and nods and accepts when Naruto comes to him, trying and saying and promising to help figure each other out. 

He's heard things about Naruto, has seen the way he fights to bring the Uchiha  _ back home _ , as he so fervently says. He admires him for that, for looking at a lost cause and finding some sort of worth in them. 

He's glad he has him because Naruto truly is radiant, blinding, and Sai finds his presence comforting because he's not the only one hurting, the only one not knowing who he really is. 

One day he tells Naruto he's Sai, that he had a brother named Shin, that he likes to paint and he'd like to be his friend. 

And Naruto smiles, that gentle, soft, sunshine warm smile that makes his insides feel queasy and fluttery, and says "It's nice to meet you, Sai!" As if he truly meant his words. 

And he does. Because one day he too meets the blonde out of the Hokage Tower, and he has tears in his eyes and relief on his smile, and Naruto whispers "It's Kin." 

Sai discovers that it suits him. Discovers how bright he is in everything he does; while training, while laughing, while eating and fighting. 

He thinks maybe Kin is truly the Sun incarnated, and he thinks he maybe wants to dip his fingers in golden hair and get burned if that's the cost. Thinks that maybe he could drown in pools of bright blue like the sky and be glad for it.

He watches, and keeps watching as Konoha takes away something precious, as Naruto collapses against his chest, tucked under his chin while he cries and whines and sobs and curses the world for being unfair against him, for the Yondaime being his father and sealing his future away. 

For Kakashi, and the Sandaime, and everyone out of reach who could have helped him  _ if only.  _

Sai watches, and he's not the brightest, nor the friendliest. He's a little bit dumb, sometimes, and dense. And rude, too. He's a lot of things Naruto is not. 

He's not gentle, nor soft. He doesn't have a heart of gold nor is he the personification of the Sun incarnated into a human. He's Sai, he's more close to a shadow and he's not the brightest of the team, but he knows he would gladly be a shadow if it meant seeing Naruto shine. 

He smiles at Naruto and Naruto smiles back, and there still are tears at the corners of his eyes, and the world feels a little less cold, a little less empty, and he wonders what would happen if they just happened to run away.

Sai's not one to disobey orders. He's been trained all his life to do as it was asked of him, to take orders from Danzo-sama and carry out whatever mission he was sent in. But. 

But this time he feels, and  _ yearns _ , and reaches out and takes his hand and tugs on it and keeps tugging at it until they're running along each other, panting and laughing and smiling. 

Sai doesn't know a lot about the world, he's clueless and weird, he understands a few things and tries to keep doing it for his own sake. But he knows that what they're doing is right, that holding Naruto's hand feels good and seeing him smile and laugh and not cry feels better. 

"Tsunade is going to be mad. When she wakes up–"

"We'll explain," he says, looking behind him and nodding, trying to be reassuring but failing at it, "and she's going to understand. She loves you, so she will understand." 

He turns around, pretends he doesn't hear him choking on air, pretends he's not shaking and flushing. Sai keeps moving forward, clasping Naruto's hand with urgency and thinking, remembering a place long forgotten, feared and crushed and broken. Just like the boy by his side. 

He doesn't look back. Neither of them does. 

And that's okay, because Uzushio comes alive when they arrive, because the cicadas sing, the dolphins cry out, and the sun is warm and soft and Naruto laughs with white sand on his toes and the breeze on his hair and. 

Sai understands. 

The queasy, fluttering feeling behind his chest when Kin looks back at him with a wide grin and teary eyes while the bright, warm sun dances on his hair and the sunshine embraces him from behind. 

Sai understands, and so he smiles back and nods and gets up, and takes his hand.

He doesn't think he'll ever let go.

  
  
  
  



End file.
